Happy 94th Birthday, Nelson Mandela

Former South African President and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela celebrates his 94th birthday today.

According to CBS, at the Nomoscow school, nearly a mile from Mandela's Qunu home, students stood in a line formation of the number 94 as they sang in honor of Mandela.

Madiba, as he is affectionately known, will be spending the day with his family. South African President Jacob Zuma once said in a speech, Mandela “showed us that despite the divisive racial oppression and hardships that this nation had gone through, it is not only possible, but necessary to embrace one another and to reconcile the South African people."

Today, South Africans are celebrating the icon by dedicating 67 minutes of service to celebrate the 67 years Madiba has spent fighting against racism and poverty.

Born July 18th, 1918 in the Eastern Cape (a region in South Africa), Mandela, and colleague Oliver Tambo, were among a cadre of Black lawyers who fought against the apartheid regime. He led the African National Congress’ armed faction, known as Umkhonto we Sizwe. In 1964 he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for treason. He served 27 years before being released in 1990. He was elected South Africa's first Black president in 1994.